17-06-2025
B.C. carjacking suspect who led U.S. authorities on police chase charged
A massive police response is seen on the I5 in Washington state after a B.C. carjacking suspect allegedly crossed the U.S. border on Dec. 12, 2024. (Washington State Patrol)
A British Columbia man who allegedly stole a pickup truck at knifepoint and then drove across the Canada-U.S. border in an attempt to evade police last year has been charged.
Shawn Douglas Bergstrom was turned over to the Richmond RCMP by U.S. authorities on June 10, nearly six months after he was arrested in Washington state.
Court records show Bergstrom, born in 1982, appeared in court on June 11 and was charged with one count of robbery.
The Richmond RCMP were called to a robbery in progress in the 4400 block of No. 3 Road just before 12:40 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2024.
The victim reported that a man approached him with a knife and demanded the keys to his black 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
The victim surrendered the truck and the suspect drove away, heading south on No. 3 Road, according to police.
The truck was located a short time later heading south on Highway 99 near the George Massey Tunnel.
A Richmond RCMP officer in a marked police vehicle attempted to stop the suspect vehicle but was unsuccessful.
Washington state pursuit
The truck approached the Peace Arch border crossing at a 'high rate of speed,' ignoring signals from border guards to stop, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement shortly after the incident.
'The vehicle continued through the port of entry and hit another vehicle,' a CBP spokesperson said.
The suspect allegedly made a U-turn and crossed a grass median before continuing to flee south on Interstate 5.
Authorities pursued the vehicle in a lengthy chase involving border guards and Washington state troopers through the communities of Blaine and Bellingham.
Police eventually rammed the pickup truck, causing the driver to lose control, near the Bow Hill rest area, approximately 70 kilometres south of the Peace Arch crossing.
Machete recovered
'The driver was taken into custody,' Washington state trooper Kelsey Harding wrote on social media, hours after the incident. 'Troopers recovered a machete, and the vehicle was identified (as) stolen from British Columbia.'
Bergstrom was charged with several offences in the U.S., including assault, reckless driving, attempting to evade police, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
He remains in police custody with his next court appearance scheduled for June 26 in Richmond provincial court.
'With the support of our U.S. partners, we were able to bring this high-profile case to a safe and successful resolution,' Richmond RCMP Chief Supt. Dave Chauhan said in a statement Monday.
'We appreciate the coordinated efforts of all law enforcement agencies in both Canada and the United States whose efforts resulted in the arrest and subsequent charge of the man.'
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
